Raul Jimenez, Mexico’s No9 who has already got his name on the scoresheet twice at the FIFA World Cup 2026™, has faced England’s Jordan Pickford six times over the past eight years in the Premier League — and he has put six goals past the Everton goalkeeper, finding the back of the net once in each of their meetings.
Their paths will cross once again on Sunday at Mexico City Stadium, when, with a place in the quarter-final up for grabs.
Born in Tepeji del Río, Hidalgo, the 35-year-old has been plying his trade in the Premier League since joining Wolves from Benfica in the 2018/19 season. After spending the past three seasons at Fulham, he will return to Wolves after the global showpiece with the club preparing for life back in the English Championship after suffering relegation.
Five of the six goals he has put past Pickford came in a Wolves shirt, where he is a club hero, while the other came during his spell at Fulham. Pickford is, in fact, the goalkeeper Jimenez has scored against most often during his career.
Jimenez’s goal in Mexico’s 2-0 victory over Ecuador at Mexico City Stasdium took the ‘Wolf’ to 47 goals in 129 appearances for El Tri, moving him past Jared Borgetti (46) as the country’s second-highest goalscorer of all time. Only Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernández, with 52 goals to his name, remains ahead of him.
“We’re fully focused and united. That sense of togetherness and family spirit is spurring us on to great things. We’ve still got another match to play here in Mexico. And we’re fully aware of what’s at stake," Jimenez said. "We’re going to give it our absolute all and keep giving the fans something to shout about. We’ve got a really strong side, and there’s been a real sense of togetherness since Vasco (Javier Aguirre) took charge. The sky’s the limit."
The striker opened his World Cup goalscoring account in the tournament’s opening match against South Africa. This is Jimenez’s fourth World Cup. Before this tournament, however, he had not only failed to score on the biggest stage of them all, but had never even started a match, chalking up just six appearances and playing only 116 minutes.
After powering a header past the South African goalkeeper, Jimenez wheeled away towards the corner flag, pointed both index fingers skywards and broke down in tears.
The ‘Wolf’ dedicated the goal to his late father, Raul Jimenez Vega, who passed away in March. “The only thing he’s missing is a World Cup goal. That’s the only thing left,” his father had said during the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup, which Mexico went on to win.
Raul had promised his father a World Cup goal. And he made good on that promise in Mexico's opening match. “That was for my dad,” he said afterwards. “He’d have been the happiest man in the stadium if he’d been here. This one’s for him.” His father was his mentor, his confidant and the person who stood by him when the going got tough, not least when his career hung in the balance.
Five minutes into Wolves’ Premier League clash with Arsenal on 29 November 2020, Jimenez suffered a horrible clash of heads with Brazil’s David Luiz. He was knocked out cold and left bleeding from the nose. The collision had left him with a fractured skull and a brain haemorrhage. It was touch and go whether he would make it. Even after he was stabilised, there were doubts over whether he would ever take to the field again. Doctors later told him it was a ‘miracle’ that he had survived the injury in the first place.
Six months training on his own, without any contact work, raised serious doubts about his future in the game. Remarkably, 230 days after the clash of heads, he made his return to professional football. Ever since, Jimenez has played with a protective headband, a black elastic band that has become his trademark. It is intended to protect the most vulnerable areas of his skull, giving him greater protection in contact situations and aerial battles. Six years on, the ‘Wolf’ netted his first World Cup goal, and it came with a header.
“He’s very resilient. I first met him when he was 17, when he broke into the national team and he was very reserved. Today, he is the essence of us; he represents the Mexican people. He’s a better person than he is a footballer,” former Mexico international Jorge Enríquez ‘Chaton’ Garcia told Claro Sports.
An Olympic gold medallist with Mexico U-23s at London 2012, Jimenez always had an eye for finding space between the lines and drifting into the pockets of space in opposition defences. With real nous, he picks his moments, finds the spaces and draws mistakes from defenders.
Against Ecuador, he shrugged off the tight marking of Willian Pacho, the centre-back and two-time UEFA Champions League winner with Paris Saint-Germain. And when he was withdrawn, the whole bench got to its feet to applaud him. The ‘Wolf’ is a striker who drops deep to link the play and bring others into the game while never losing his presence in the box or his eye for goal. He is a striker who peels off defenders with intelligent movement and is not afraid to try improvised, acrobatic finishes, as he showed against Ecuador.
During the press conference on the eve of England’s opening game — a 4-2 victory over Croatia — England skipper Harry Kane was asked about Jimenez and said: “He’s had a fantastic career in the Premier League. He scores goals and is an intelligent player who likes to drop deep and link the play. He also gets into the box, although sometimes a fraction too late.
"But he’s a natural No9 who gets into goalscoring positions and is a very composed finisher. He’s started the World Cup with the bit between his teeth and will no doubt be key for Mexico. Let’s just hope he doesn’t do too well.” Now Kane and Jimenez will go head-to-head again in Mexico City.
At England’s matches, a flag bearing the Wolves badge could be seen in the stands. Outside the ground, a group of fans gave a rendition of the “Si senor” chant for Jimenez in front of the Mexican TV cameras. Wolves’ “Raulmanía” chant goes as follows: “There's something that the Wolves want you to know, best in the world he comes from Mexico, our No9, give him the ball and he'll score every time, Si senor, give the ball to Raul and he will score.”
Sources: FIFA Official
